Sunday was not a good NFL betting day for many sportsbooks as multiple underdogs covered, and several won games straight up. It was a strange week in the NFL and first-time bettors likely had a lot of success with some of the upsets and potential parlays.

But the most significant loss for sportsbooks came on Sunday Night Football as the Rams covered against the Browns on the road. Most books were anticipating the public betting on the home underdog, but that wasn't the case.

Bettors – at least 90 percent at William Hill – took the Rams laying 3 or 3.5 points, and they were rewarded. The Browns have drawn a lot of NFL futures betting this season and sportsbooks were anticipating them to have a lot of backers once again in Week 3. But with Cleveland having so many injuries on defense, most bettors – with the notable exception of one who put $500,000 on the Browns – took the Rams on the road to cover.

CG Technolgy sportsbook director Tony DiTommaso said the game proved costly as the public hammered the Rams all week, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.

“You could see the onslaught early on,” he said. “There was no stopping any of the steam Rams money. And it wasn’t the sharp guys that drove it up. It was all casual guys.”

The Rams won 20-13 in Cleveland. Bettors who got on the action early in the week or even before kickoff fared well, beating the sportsbooks in primetime. That usually doesn't happen very often, especially not with a proven team like the Los Angeles Rams.

Cowboys Odds Also Tilt Toward NFL Bettors

Another big loss for sportsbooks was the Cowboys covering the massive spread over the Dolphins. Entering Week 3, Dallas was anywhere from 21- to 23-point favorites over Miami. But that didn't scare off bettors from taking the Cowboys to cover the spread. Once again, the Dolphins were blown out and lost by 25 points, 31-6, on the road.

For most bettors, the wise move is always to take teams who are getting 14 or more points, even on the road. These type of blowouts aren't that common in the NFL, even for bad teams. So a 22-point spread seems like it would be an obvious pick for bettors.

However, that wasn't the case in Week 3 as the public hammered Dallas to cover the spread. Going forward, sportsbooks are going to have some problems figuring out how many points to give the Dolphins to get bettors to side with Miami.

But what made the day worse for sportsbooks is the number of underdogs who not only covered but also won straight up. Teams such as the Saints, Lions, and Texans all covered and won on the road as underdogs. Bettors who parlayed these underdogs together were looking at big payouts, especially on moneyline parlays. The Giants, Panthers and Jets all covered on the road as well. It was a rough day for sportsbooks all around as parlays, teaser and underdogs all made a killing in Week 3.